We are so close to filling our bucket for the third time, I bet they will do it tomorrow!

Today we played digraph bingo with the cards we made with sh , th, ch, ck and wh words.  The kids loved it and they were so good at it!  If you are looking for a new way to practice words make it into a bingo game!

In math we are practicing to jump on the number grid.  For example if we are working on 5+2 we want to be able to use the number grid to count on and back.  The biggest mistake we often see in first graders is counting before they jump.  We practiced this today by physically jumping and then counting....jump "1", jump "2" etc.  Playing board games also reinforces this.
Soon we will learn to use the plus 10 shortcut on our number grids by sliding out fingers down a row.
We have lots of games to practice this skill.

Today we did a big book bag exchange, phew!  Look for new stuff coming home today!  In your child's book bag there should also be a number grid puzzle they can solve in addition to the things listed in the math section.  Remember the pink BES challenge sheet is OPTIONAL!

In literacy today we practiced making words with our digraphs and in math we worked on filling in missing numbers on a number grid using the before (-1) and after (+1) clues.  Soon we will move onto +/- 10 on a number grid.

We finished our first chapter book Charlotte's Web and watched the movie for our last privilege ( over a week).  We started a new chapter book Matilda by Roald Dahl.  Please be advised if you read along at home that I do paraphrase some of the language and parts to make it more first grade friendly.

Today we did a super fun read aloud with movement at morning meeting called In a House that is Haunted!

In literacy we introduced the digraphs.  We talked about how 2 letters make 1 sound:


We learned how to play number grid tic tac toe!  Look for a paper coming home as a homework opportunity on this next week.  Thanks for sending the book bags back on Monday!  Have a great weekend!

Today we reviewed that q is always with u!  We know that these letters together make the /qu/ sound.  We had a new word of the day and the word was quit.  Ask your first grader if they can write it or spell it or use it in a sentence.  We have also been practicing a lot about how sentences start and end so you can hold us accountable when writing at home to have uppercase starts and punctuation marks!

In math we continued to practice making time to the hour in a variety of ways.  Look for a scoot paper coming home.  This is when I put clues around the room (today it was clocks with times to the hour displayed) and the kids have to go around and find the clocks and write the answer.  KIDS LOVE THIS FORMAT!  If you are looking for a new way to practice anything ( sight words, time, letters etc) try this hide the clue around the house and see if you can find it strategy!

I have someone donating mini muffins to our Oct. 31st special snack...please email me if you can donate a different item ( juice bags or apple cider & cups, napkins, plates, popcorn in individual baggies, apples).  Thanks!

Today we introduced 3 more trick words : of, his & is.  We talked about how many of the trick words are not phonetic (sound them out) like of  really sounds like /u/ /v/.  

In math we read the book What Time is it Mr. Crocodile? and we introduced making time to the hour.  We have a motion to remember the minute and hour hands, ask your first grader to show you minute ( hand extended and pointed way overhead) and their hand hand (bend at the elbow and put elbow to hip to show a shorter hand).

In writing we are learning to edit our work!  We are focused on re-reading to make sure it looks right, sounds right and makes sense!  We are using basic editing like crossing out a word or adding a caret when we need to add a word or phrase. You can remind us when we are writing at home to use these strategies when we re-read our work.

Another fantastic fall day in room 107!  These kids are working hard and it showing!

We refilled the book bags and sent home a new homework log today.  Thanks for your support at home with these!  We also made a making 10 memory game to play at home, it should be in your student's read book bag.

Today the firs BES challenge came home, read about this opportunity on the cover sheet sent with the challenge.  Remember these papers are OPTIONAL, do as much and as many as you would like.

We took our unit 1 test today for math.  I was very impressed with how well these students did on their assessment.  I will share these with you at our upcoming PTC.   We kick off unit 2 tomorrow with telling time to the hour on analog clocks.

Team 107 earned the privilege (by filling up their bucket) of watching the movie Charlotte's Web, we started the first part of it today and we will watch it piece by piece over this week.  The kids loved it!

Look for a revised friendship list coming home today with an update on correct contact information!
If you use the link on drive it is correct now. :)

Monday October 31st we will be doing special first grade rotations and a special snack!  If you can donate popcorn, apples, Capri Sun Roarin' Water bags, paper, plates, napkins or mini muffins please email me.  We have 17 students!

Tomorrow is Bobcat blue day!  Wear your navy blue (or whatever you have got)!

Today we started writing conferences and specifically touching on  one compliment and one teaching point.  Check your child's folder for a small purple slip and see what they are doing well in their stories and what they are working on!

A challenge for math come home today.  We worked on this the last few minutes of math today.  It is a grid with numbers and it is asking them to find the ways to make ten on the grid and fill in the puzzle pieces.  They do not have to finish it, but I told them if they are up for a challenge they can work on it and return it tomorrow for a cube!  This led us to a discussion of why we do tricky things and not just always easy things and how we are building perseverance!!

Today we had our first meeting with our fourth grade book pals!  Each first grader has one or two pals.  We are partnering up with Mrs. Galvin's first grade class to share the fourth grade students in Mrs. Hamer's class.

Today in literacy we did sentence puzzles for the first time.  I was amazed at how great the kids were at these.  We looked at the clues to see which word started with an uppercase start ( probably goes first) and which word has a punctuation mark at the end (it should go last).  Then we rearranged the words to make sure it looks right, sounds right and makes sense.  Those are the basic three question we use to self monitor when reading.

What a great day!  We had a very successful and fun fairy house walk!  Thank you for helping send in things and to all our volunteers!  It really is a fun first grade memory.  If you missed the walk you could always come walk the trail behind the school over the long weekend and check out all the fairy neighborhoods!

In math we are continuing to make and do things to help us learn (until it is automatic) all the ways to 10!  Look for a paper coming home on this today where they cut and pasted the matches to 10.  When they were done I quickly checked in and quizzed each kid on the paper , first they were allowed to look at it "Who goes with 5? Who goes with 8 etc"  Then we flipped the paper over and tried it the same questions from memory.

In writer's workshop we are learning how to add life to our characters in our pictures and our words.  We are making them move and speak!  We are adding their feelings to our stories.  I love seeing the speech bubbles and expressions they are drawing on the faces.  We talked about moving beyond a stick figure who is frozen standing still and showing movement to enhance the reader's understanding of the story!

Enjoy the long weekend!  See you back on Tuesday team 107!

Today we had a very special day!  We did our first day of first grade rotations.  Several times a year the first graders rotate from classroom to classroom visiting all 5 first grade rooms and teachers.  Today in each classroom they did a variety of activities to get them ready for tomorrow's fairy house field trip!

Look for a brown paper bag coming home tonight.  They may or may not want to bring in some natural materials from home.  

If you are able to chaperone (planned or last minute) please meet us in the hallway between the gym and the office at 845.  We are looking forward to it!

Today we practiced bus evacuations.  The kids learned what to do in an emergency on the bus and did the rear exit as a practice.  We talked a lot about emergencies and what to do in an emergency.  I tried to make sure everyone was feeling comfortable and confident in what to do but you may want to check in with your first grader to see if there are any lingering questions.

Our field trip is coming up quick!  Remember Friday to have your dress for the weather and for a woods walk.  Tomorrow afternoon a brown paper bag will be coming home in case your first grader wants to bring any additional natural materials to build with (optional).  For example, maybe in your yard there is really big pinecones or bark from a birch tree etc.

If you are chaperoning meet us in the hallway between the office and the gym at 845 am!

BOOK BAGS went home yesterday.  This are intended to be a familiar book your first grader has already practiced in reading group.  These are Monday home- next Monday back.  Now we have book bags, homework logs and library books all packed for the same day MONDAY!

Welcome to...

We started our day by making our October Calendars! I am impressed at how some students are starting to look back at their numbers and determine any reversals they may have.  When your first grade reverses a letter or number don't do all the work for them and tell them "your h is backwards" instead tell them "Be a good detective and check their numbers/letters against a resource to find the backwatds one."  By having them check their own formation then erase and correct it themselves it will ilmprint it into their brain that much faster!  Remember reversals are still very appropriate for this age / time of the year.

In math we read the book

and we made lots of number sentences to match the pictures for combinations to 10!  We will continue working on all the combinations to 10 this month.  Eventually we want to be SO fluent in 10 that we know all the numbers that go together to make 10 so if I say "who goes with 6?"  they know automatically it is 4!  

Tomorrow we are working to use the making 10 rainbow to find all the ways...